The present invention is directed to an improved golf club and particularly toward achieving greater accuracy in putting. In nearly 400 years, there has been virtually no improvement in the way a golf ball is engaged by the club in putting the ball toward the hole. When an ordinary putter begins to move the ball, especially on a short putt, the contact between the ball and the putter causes the ball to skid as it travels across the ground. I have found that frictional contact between the ball and the putter blade has a tendency to cause the ball to move erratically, i.e., to jump, skip or hop during the first portion of the stroke. There are actually three phenomena that are involved in the problem of achieving putting accuracy. On somewhat longer shots in which the ball is struck harder, the impact causes the ball to fly forward initially without rotating and then to skid across the ground, resulting in erratic movement. Finally, during the last portion of the stroke as the ball starts rotating, the angular momentum of the ball becomes important in maintaining rectilinear movement of the ball along a straight line toward the cup. However, in an ordinary putter, friction between the ball and the face of the putter leads to the skidding action already described, contributing to erratic movement of the ball, e.g., jumping or skipping which I have found tends to lessen the accuracy of the shot.
In view of these and other deficiencies of the prior art, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved golf club that will enable shots, especially putting shots, to be accomplished more accurately by preventing the ball from skidding against the face of the club or across the ground.
Another object of the invention is to find a way to assist the ball in beginning to rotate more quickly owing to the friction between itself and the ground to thereby more quickly develop enough angular momentum to help the ball move more accurately on a straight line toward the cup.
An additional object is to provide an improved golf club especially well suited as a putter which is rugged in construction, economical to produce, and yet reliable in its ability to allow the ball to roll freely while in contact with the club.
These and other more detailed and specific objects of the present invention will be better understood by reference to the following figures and detailed description which illustrate by way of example but a few of the various forms of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.